Legend of Bulgarian rock music, Kiril Marichkov, dies at 79

One of the most famous and loved Bulgarian rock musicians, Kiril Marichkov, died after an accidental fall this evening, October 11. The information was confirmed to BNT by his colleagues.

He was together with "The Fondation" in the village of Selanovtsi, Vratsa district, Northwestern Bulgaria. The band was supposed to give a concert there as part of the programme of local celebrations. While getting on the stage, Marichkov fell and suffered a severe head injury. He died in the ambulance on route to hospital. The accident occured in front of the eyes of hundreds of people in the village square.

Kiril Marichkov was 79 years old. Singer, musician and composer - he is one of the legends of the Bulgarian rock music. His career started as a member of the rock band "Bandaratsite". He played bass guitar, and in 1967, after the "Bandaratsite" split up, Marichkov and drummer Petar Tsankov founded "Shturtsite" (The Crickets) - the band with which he recorded and performed songs loved by generations of Bulgarians.

The list of songs he created includes hits such as "Rock in the Past Tense", "The Taste of Time", "The Horseman", "Oath", "Magical Flower". "Shturtsite”, along with FSB, “Signal” and “Akhat”, are one of the most influential Bulgarian rock bands of the 20th century.

After "Shturtsite" stopped its active creative and concert activity, Kiril Marichkov devoted himself to solo projects and public engagements. Since 2013, he has been a member of the supergroup "The Fondation" together with Dobrin Vekilov - Doni, Ivan Lechev, Slavcho Nikolov and Venko Poromanski.

The Bulgarian musical stage lost a legend - a rocker at heart and an aristocrat in soul. Kiril Marichkov and “Shturtsite” contributed to the modern sound of Bulgarian music, which also brought the spirit of change to our society. And as a person, he gave us hope that music makes us better! May he rest in peace!" Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev wrote in a social media post after the news about the death of the legendary Bulgarian musician.